Smriti Irani says, '25 years ago, I was called a part-time politician and a full-time actor'

Smriti Irani, revisiting her role as Tulsi in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, recently joined Soha Ali Khan's podcast, All About Her. She discussed her career journey and experiences in the entertainment industry.

Soha shared a preview of the podcast episode on her Instagram. She captioned the post, “Tulsi in 2000 vs. Tulsi in 2025… what would they say to each other? This isn’t just an episode, it’s a Moment!”

The caption continued, “On All About Her Episode 4, we are joined by the indomitable Smt. Smriti Irani - in conversation with me about women in the public service. Be prepared for stories you have never heard!”

In the promo, Smriti recalled, “25 years ago, I was called a part-time politician and a full-time actor.” She added, “To my father, I'm going to live the rest of my life as somebody's wife. 17 years as your daughter, I said, when do I get to live for myself?”

Speaking about her first job and shared, “First job was on the streets of Delhi in a place called Janpath for 200 bucks a day. Taken a loan from my dad. He said, I'll give you one year, and if you can't pay me back, marry whoever I tell you to marry.”

She also revealed, “Everywhere I would go, they would say, ‘You're a crappy actor’, adding, “Male actor was getting paid more than me.”

When Soha inquired about the evolution of Tulsi over 25 years, Smriti responded, “Get a better paycheck.” She also addressed her political career and said, “In 2004, fought my first election. I was 27. There's no education, no academic adventure to understand hardcore politics.” She also recalled, “A very angry editor shouting on my phone, Arnab Goswami, what is wrong with you? Come out and you know.”

Smriti further noted, “In this modern world, you have to be your own CEO, CFO and intern. The push and tracker app, and that was me.”

Smriti Irani recently returned to television in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, reprising her role as Tulsi with Amar Upadhyay as Mihir. The reboot also featured the return of Shakti Anand, Ritu Seth, Gauri Pradhan, and others.